1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to liquid fuels known variously as bunker fuels and residual fuels, and to substitutes for these fuels that offer the advantages of lower viscosity and cleaner burning.
2. Background of the Invention
Bunker fuels are heavy residual oils used as fuel by ships and industry, and in large-scale heating installations. The fuel oil known as No. 6 fuel oil, which is also known as "Bunker C" fuel oil, is used in oil-fired power plants as the major fuel and is also used as a main propulsion fuel by deep draft vessels in the shipping industry. The fuel oils known as No. 4 and No. 5 fuel oils are used in commercial applications such as schools, apartment buildings, and other large buildings, and for large stationary and marine engines. The heaviest fuel oil is the vacuum residuum from the fractional distillation, commonly referred to as "vacuum resid," with a boiling point of 565.degree. C. and above. Vacuum resid is primarily used as asphalt and coker feed.
The viscosity of the numbered fuel oils increases with the numerical designation. Fuel oil Nos. 4, 5, and 6 thus have higher viscosities and specific gravities than Nos. 1, 2 and 3, and vacuum resid has the highest. Because of their high viscosity, both vacuum resid and the higher numbered fuel oils generally require heating before they can be pumped. Of the numbered fuel oils, No. 6 fuel oil has the highest specific gravity (typically 0.9861 at 15/15.degree. C.) and the highest viscosity (typically 36,000 cSt at 37.8.degree. C.). Pumping of No. 6 fuel oil requires preheating heating to about 165.degree. F. (74.degree. C.), which adds considerably to the cost of its use and to the capital cost of the installation. Fuel oil Nos. 4 and 5 have a similar problem, although the heating requirement is less. In addition, both the vacuum resid and the numbered fuel oils have high sulfur contents (among the numbered fuel oils, No. 6 fuel oil having the highest sulfur content) and, like many petroleum fuels, their use entails a risk of high NO.sub.x emissions and high particle emissions.